The Morning Hustle
We set up camp at Umoja Camp in Samburu’s Archer's Post, which is quite a distance from Sabache Camp, the main entry point for the hike. We chose Umoja for its convenience and the stunning views of the adjacent Ewaso Nyiro River. It was a short night’s rest; we woke up at 1:00 AM, grabbed a quick snack, gathered our hiking gear, and headed toward Sabache. Riding in an overland truck accompanied by two guides, our goal was to hit the trail exactly at 3:00 AM.
The uphill Journey
We pulled into Sabache around 2:30 AM. The roads were completely dark, and passing an anti-terrorist patrol unit definitely set an eerie mood! I was already feeling a bit anxious because our truck had gotten stuck in the loose sand on this road last year. Luckily, we maneuvered through without a hitch this time. As soon as we arrived and cleared the entry fees, we started our stretches to prep for the trek.
Being a wildlife photographer and drone pilot, I made sure to stay up front leading the trail with the 'Team Subaru' crew. That uphill climb was no joke! Thankfully, the altitude didn't give us any trouble, but spotting buffalo dung and leopard paw prints definitely kept us on our toes. Good thing we had an armed guide and a Maasai warrior with us! We finally summited at 6:00 AM in the freezing cold. I spent the morning capturing gorgeous sunrise silhouettes, getting some epic drone footage, and shooting portraits against the backdrop of the Isiolo-Marsabit highway. Since I was the one behind the camera, I was naturally the last person to start the hike down, accompanied by four ladies from our team.
The Milk story
As we began our descent, one of the ladies in our group was struggling with the pace, so the guide stayed behind with her while the rest of us pushed ahead. About an hour later, we stumbled upon another lady from our team standing alone in the middle of the trail. She was terrified, claiming she had just heard leopard roars. I set my camera bag down to listen closely, and instead of a leopard, I heard the distant moos of cows. She explained that one of the Samburu guides had gone to get milk but had been gone far too long. He hadn't taken her with him, as it went against the culture of the nomads living on the mountain.
Curious, I followed the cow trails. After a short walk, I found the nomads milking their cattle. They warmly invited me to try the raw milk, and it was incredibly sweet. I learned they live up on the mountain in temporary shelters and survive strictly on a diet of just meat and milk, a traditional, natural zero-carb lifestyle I could definitely appreciate! After enjoying the milk, the nomads welcomed us to bring the rest of our group over, so we sent the young morans back to get the ladies.
We sent the young morans to fetch the ladies, but they soon returned to tell us the group had refused to come. Confused, we headed back to the trail, only to find that both the ladies and my camera bag were completely gone. Panic set in immediately. We quickly followed their footprints down the trail and finally caught up with them further along the path. Here is what actually happened: when the young morans approached them out of nowhere, the ladies panicked. With absolutely no cell network on the mountain to call us, and convinced they were hearing those 'leopard roars' again, they simply ran away as fast as they could! Fortunately, everyone was safe (and my gear was intact). We hiked the rest of the descent together, spending the entire walk laughing about our wild encounters. One of the ladies even promised to write a full article about our unforgettable experiences on Ol Donyo Sabache.
